i'm now in the market looking for a nice cheap lenses. i'm ok with barrel lenses and other types. i would also like to experience american lenses like wollensak, kodak etc. can anyone recommend me a good one? a wide lens and a portrait lens would be nice.. yes for 4x5.

i mean cheap something like $50 or lower saw some good condition lenses in the auction site in that price range.

what can you say about the optar 135 4.7 lens? is it good for 4x5? seen a few on ebay not more than $75. would i jump on it? i notuiced there are raptars, optars and ektars. i'm not sure what to look for. i'll search google as well

Optar is Raptar rebadged, made by Wollensak. Usually very sharp lens but an occasional dud shows up.
Ektar: Kodak top of the line lens, state of the art in the day._________________The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

Wollensak relabeled (re badged) their line of lens to Optar when that lens was supplied to Graflex for their cameras. Look at the Wollensak catalogs at
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/info.html
When Wollensak quit making lens Rodenstok was used and is listed as Rodenstok Optar.

A low price lens in shutter usually needs the shutter CLAed, glass is dirty internally, or the glass is scratched. A shutter Clean, Lube, Adjust usually runs $65 to $150 plus shipping depending on the shutter and who does the work._________________The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

thank you! a full working lens let say a 90mm for $150-$200 seems fair?

last time a bought a lens was years ago i'm not sure what is the rates now and it was a 210mm symmar. i'm looking for wide to use with the speed graphic and probably a 6x12 or 6x17 back. i'm still searching info about the back on a graflex right now. maybe you can help me to decide too?

thanks a lot guys! this site is very helpful. i can't wait to shoot my speed graphic.

45PSS wrote:

Wollensak relabeled (re badged) their line of lens to Optar when that lens was supplied to Graflex for their cameras. Look at the Wollensak catalogs at
http://www.cameraeccentric.com/info.html
When Wollensak quit making lens Rodenstok was used and is listed as Rodenstok Optar.

A low price lens in shutter usually needs the shutter CLAed, glass is dirty internally, or the glass is scratched. A shutter Clean, Lube, Adjust usually runs $65 to $150 plus shipping depending on the shutter and who does the work.

Depends on the lens and shutter. A 90mm f6.8 Optar or Angulon in a freshly serviced shutter operating to spec, $200 might be a stretch. A Super Angulon 90mm f8 $200 could be a good buy.
A 100mm Wide Field Ektar expect $300+.

I recently tipped another member to a 135mm f4.7 Optar that needed a CLA listed for $50. The member bought it, sent it to me along with a Anniversary Speed in need of repairs. After a full CLA on the camera and lens both worked near new. Gems in the rough can be had but do not come up every day._________________The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

i shouldve forwarded you the graflex that i bought from the auction site i didn't knew you can restore graflex

there are a lot of versions of angulon. which are the ones that are good buys? there linhof angulon etc. i'm kinda confused of that

another thing is i'm planning to put a 6x12 or 6x17 back for panoramic shots. i've read that lenses for speed graphic are limited. which focal length is suited for this backs? have you tried one?

panoramic would be useful here in my place thats why i would like to invest on the back. dayi has 6x12 and 6x17 shenhao has 6x12. either 2 are from china so might be the same quality build. but i'm unsure if these backs will work properly with my lenses right now (300mm, 210, 180 and 150) i want to get a proper lens for this set up. i'll try to dig on the site and google for more info. if you have info please let me know

thank you 45pps!!!

45PSS wrote:

Quote:

last time a bought a lens was years ago

I'm in the same boat.

Quote:

let say a 90mm for $150-$200 seems fair?

Depends on the lens and shutter. A 90mm f6.8 Optar or Angulon in a freshly serviced shutter operating to spec, $200 might be a stretch. A Super Angulon 90mm f8 $200 could be a good buy.
A 100mm Wide Field Ektar expect $300+.

I recently tipped another member to a 135mm f4.7 Optar that needed a CLA listed for $50. The member bought it, sent it to me along with a Anniversary Speed in need of repairs. After a full CLA on the camera and lens both worked near new. Gems in the rough can be had but do not come up every day.

Just a note on terminology which might aid in a search. AFAIK, there is no lens called "GRAFLEX." The terms Optar and Raptar were used by the Graflex Company to describe their (i.e., Wollensak) lenses. Their shutters (also made by Wollensak, a separate company) were badged "GRAPHEX."

I use the 135 mm Optar f/4.7 lens in Graphex shutter for medium-power magnification, in 6x7 format on my Century. It's a fine performer. YRMV!

i'm bidding for an optar right now. 135mm 4.7 in graphex shutter. i think this will cover 4x5 enough right?

was watching a 127 commercial ektar a few days ago then last night it was sold for $45 too bad! i should bought it. i was hesitation because i thought it was for smaller graphics.

i'll post my other question in a new thread about 6x12 and 6x17 back.

thanks guys!

Henry wrote:

Just a note on terminology which might aid in a search. AFAIK, there is no lens called "GRAFLEX." The terms Optar and Raptar were used by the Graflex Company to describe their (i.e., Wollensak) lenses. Their shutters (also made by Wollensak, a separate company) were badged "GRAPHEX."

I use the 135 mm Optar f/4.7 lens in Graphex shutter for medium-power magnification, in 6x7 format on my Century. It's a fine performer. YRMV!

Image Circle Diameter can always be bigger
Now if you do no movement with you lens you can get by with a
Image Circle Diameter of say 135mm But your corners will go soff

most 127mm & 135mm are recommended for 3 1/4 x 4 1/4
but were sold on most all Press cameras 4x5 & 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 as a
standard lens as most Press photographer didn't have the time to
make use of any movement!!

now in the old Kodak books they say that the standard lens for a
4x5 should be a 162mm
but the newer lens most any 150mm are good but almost anything
127mm & up should cover any press camera

There is one Angulon. Those badged Linhof or other camera manufacturer name are hand picked cells matched by that camera manufacturer from the production run by the lens company.

Quote:

another thing is i'm planning to put a 6x12 or 6x17 back for panoramic shots

A Graphic has a 4x5 fixed film plane opening. 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 inch = 25.4 mm. 5*2.54= 12.7 cm. A 6x12 will work on the Graphic, a 6x17 would not.

Quote:

was watching a 127 commercial ektar a few days ago then last night it was sold for $45 too bad! i should bought it. i was hesitation because i thought it was for smaller graphics.

A 135mm will cover 4x5 with some movements. The 127 is for 3x4 with movements, It just covers 4x5 without movements but may be soft in the corners to slight vignetting depending on the production tolerance of the lens._________________The best camera ever made is the one that YOU enjoy using and produces the image quality that satifies YOU.

so the optar 135 would cover 4x5 without much movements? a semi wide lens for 4x5? i think i'm fine with that. i will check flickr for samples too. i've been trying to find some image sharing threads here but i don't think we have it on this forum if there is one please let me know.

thank you again guys for helping me out. i supposed to do my homework but sometimes i don't understand what i'm reading haha

regards

FG

PS: banjo, i tried bidding on super topcor 90mm but i didn't get it. the first one ended up at $94! i will try next time when it's confirmed i could use a 90mm on 6x12 or 6x17 back without any problem on speed graphic.

1banjo wrote:

some times it hard to find the right data on some of the old lens
Now if you are useing a Press camera its not so bad as they don't have all of the movements as a monorail View Camera does

Image Circle Diameter can always be bigger
Now if you do no movement with you lens you can get by with a
Image Circle Diameter of say 135mm But your corners will go soff

most 127mm & 135mm are recommended for 3 1/4 x 4 1/4
but were sold on most all Press cameras 4x5 & 3 1/4 x 4 1/4 as a
standard lens as most Press photographer didn't have the time to
make use of any movement!!

now in the old Kodak books they say that the standard lens for a
4x5 should be a 162mm
but the newer lens most any 150mm are good but almost anything
127mm & up should cover any press camera